Hunter Bigge Bio
Hunter Bradford Bigge (born June 12, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher who most recently played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays. A right-handed reliever, Bigge made his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2024 before being traded to the Rays later that same season. He has drawn attention for his work in the late innings of games and for his strong collegiate pedigree at one of the country’s most academically selective universities.
Bigge began his professional career in 2019 and has pitched in the Cubs and Rays organizations. In 2025, he was briefly in the Rays’ bullpen before a frightening on-field incident cut his season short. He continued his recovery in 2026 and began the year with Triple-A Durham.
Early Life and Background
Hunter Bradford Bigge was born on June 12, 1998, in Los Gatos, California, a small city in the Santa Cruz Mountains just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up in the Bay Area gave him access to a year-round baseball scene and a strong amateur pipeline that has produced several major leaguers.
Bigge attended Los Gatos High School, where he developed as a pitcher and attracted attention from college recruiters. After finishing his high school career, he chose to attend Harvard University, a path that set him apart from many of his professional peers and signaled an early interest in life beyond baseball.
At Harvard, Bigge played college baseball for the Harvard Crimson in the Ivy League. He later played collegiate summer baseball with the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League, where his fastball reached 95 miles per hour, a velocity that caught the eye of professional scouts and helped cement his decision to pursue a career in MLB.
Path to Baseball
Bigge’s path to professional baseball ran through one of the most academically demanding college programs in the country. While balancing Ivy League coursework at Harvard, he continued to develop his pitching arsenal, refining a fastball that would eventually sit in the mid-90s. His summer stint in the Northwoods League gave him the chance to face high-level amateur hitters on a near-nightly basis.
His performance at Harvard and during the summer circuit made him a draft-eligible prospect coming out of his college years. In the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, the Chicago Cubs selected Bigge in the 12th round, with the 372nd overall pick. He signed with the Cubs rather than beginning a planned internship with the financial firm BlackRock, committing fully to a professional baseball career.
Hunter Bigge Career
Early Career (2019–2022)
Bigge opened his professional career in 2019 in the lower levels of the Cubs system. In his first professional season, he posted a 1.13 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 9 games split between the rookie-level Arizona League Cubs and the Low-A Eugene Emeralds, an encouraging start for a late-round draft pick.
The 2020 minor league season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Bigge worked for a financial startup during the shutdown to stay busy. He returned in 2021 with the High-A South Bend Cubs, posting a 5.66 ERA with 29 strikeouts over 20⅔ innings, though he lost time with a torn labrum. In 2022, he split the year between South Bend and the Double-A Tennessee Smokies, going 7-2 with a 5.26 ERA, 70 strikeouts, and 10 saves in 41 games, showing a growing role as a late-inning reliever.
Chicago Cubs Era (2023–2024)
Bigge spent 2023 in the upper levels of the Cubs system, pitching for Tennessee and the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. He compiled a 4.50 ERA with 68 strikeouts across 42 appearances out of the bullpen, establishing himself as a reliable relief arm in Triple-A.
He began 2024 with Triple-A Iowa before the Cubs selected his contract and promoted him to the major leagues for the first time on July 7, 2024. Bigge made his MLB debut on July 9, 2024, and posted a 2.70 ERA with 5 strikeouts in 4 games for the Cubs, giving Chicago a brief but effective look at their homegrown reliever.
Tampa Bay Rays Era (2024–2025)
On July 28, 2024, the Cubs traded Bigge, along with Christopher Morel and Ty Johnson, to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Isaac Paredes. The trade gave Bigge a fresh opportunity in a bullpen that has long been one of the most innovative in baseball. Down the stretch with the Rays in 2024, he posted a 2.57 ERA with 19 strikeouts and one save across 14 innings in 15 appearances, cementing his role as a late-inning option.
Bigge was optioned to the Triple-A Durham Bulls to begin the 2025 season, but he returned to the Rays’ major league roster after an injury to starter Shane McClanahan. In 13 appearances for Tampa Bay in 2025, he recorded a 2.40 ERA with 12 strikeouts over 15 innings of work. His season was cut short on June 19, 2025, when he was hit in the face by a 105-mile-per-hour line drive foul ball off the bat of Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. Bigge did not lose consciousness but was carted off the field and later required emergency surgery to repair multiple facial fractures.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bigge works primarily as a relief pitcher, leaning on a mid-90s fastball that he commands to both sides of the plate. His college experience at Harvard and his summer work in the Northwoods League helped him develop a calm, analytical approach on the mound, and he has shown the ability to miss bats in short stints in the major leagues.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bigge’s most notable moment in the major leagues came on June 19, 2025, when the 105-mile-per-hour foul ball off Adley Rutschman’s bat struck him in the face, leading to emergency surgery for multiple facial fractures. He also reached the milestone of his MLB debut on July 9, 2024, with the Chicago Cubs, and his first trade to a contender later that summer when he was dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Hunter Bigge Career Wins
As a relief pitcher, Bigge has contributed to team success through scoreless outings, holds, and saves rather than through traditional win totals. Across his time in the Cubs and Rays systems, he has been used in leverage situations, and his professional ERA has remained low throughout his career.
Tampa Bay Rays Highlights
With the Rays, Bigge established himself as a trusted late-inning arm in 2024, posting a 2.57 ERA with 19 strikeouts and one save in 15 appearances. In 2025, he picked up where he left off, recording a 2.40 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 13 appearances before his injury.
Other Wins & Performances
In the minor leagues, Bigge earned 10 saves in 41 games for South Bend and Tennessee in 2022 and served as a steady bullpen presence for Triple-A Iowa in 2023. His work in those roles helped him earn his first major league call-up with the Cubs in July 2024.
Hunter Bigge Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Hunter Bigge’s immediate family is limited. He grew up in Los Gatos, California, and attended Los Gatos High School, where he began his development as a pitcher.
Personal Life
Bigge is a graduate of Harvard University, where he balanced Ivy League academics with college baseball before turning professional. He chose a career in baseball over a planned internship at the financial firm BlackRock, a decision that shaped the early years of his professional journey.
2025 Season Performance
Bigge’s 2025 season began with an option to the Triple-A Durham Bulls before a promotion back to the Rays’ Opening Day roster following an injury to starter Shane McClanahan. In 13 appearances for Tampa Bay, he posted a 2.40 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 15 innings, continuing the late-inning reliability he had shown after the 2024 trade.
His season was halted on June 19, 2025, when he was struck in the face by a 105-mile-per-hour line drive foul ball hit by Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. Bigge was carted off the field and required emergency surgery to repair multiple facial fractures, ending his year.
Looking ahead, Bigge was optioned to Triple-A Durham to begin the 2026 season as he continued his recovery. His prior work in the Rays’ bullpen suggested a clear path back to the major leagues once he returned to full health.